


Holding Cell

by 88_MAGNETIC_DOG_88



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Blood and Injury, Crying, Depression, Enemies to Lovers, F/F, Heavy Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Torture, Post-Canon, Prison, Self-Hatred, Strangulation, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-12
Updated: 2017-06-12
Packaged: 2018-11-10 20:33:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11134227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/88_MAGNETIC_DOG_88/pseuds/88_MAGNETIC_DOG_88
Summary: Blue Zircon and Yellow Zircon are locked in a Homeworld jail cell, awaiting the Diamonds' decisions on what to do regarding Blue Zircon's outburst at Rose Quartz's trial.While in this jail cell, Yellow Zircon is introduced to an entirely new side of Blue Zircon she had never expected to see before.





	Holding Cell

**Author's Note:**

> A little bit of writing practice while I'm getting back into the swing of things. That new Steven Universe special inspired me. 
> 
> I wouldn't count on this thing to be 100% in-character of the two Zircons, but it's just a spur-of-the-moment thing that I wanted to write. Hope you guys enjoy.

Rose Quartz's trial had gone south. Once the Zircon in defense of the accused pointed to the Diamonds as the possible suspects to have shattered Pink Diamond, Yellow Diamond had a blind burst of rage in which she'd violently destroyed the physical forms of both of the Zircons present at the trial. It was then that Rose Quartz and her human companion fled the scene, hijacking Blue Diamond's palanquin and escaping to the dark recesses of Homeworld.

After the trial had ended, and the two Diamonds had managed to calm themselves just a bit, the two Zircons had been locked inside a holding cell with sound-proof doors guarded by two Quartz soldiers. It wasn't long until both of them reformed, and begun their wait for the Diamonds' decisions on their fates.

"Brav-o, brav-o," Yellow Zircon clapped slowly, the sardonic tone in her voice higher than ever. "Great work out there, traitor. What an amazing defense! Now we're both going to be shattered. Are you happy with yourself?"

Blue Zircon was on the opposite side of the room, sitting in the corner, curled up with her head lowered in shame. She lifted her head enough for a bit to shoot a cold glare at the other Zircon from across the room, before lowering it again and saying "I'm in no mood for your mockery right now. Leave me alone."

"Oh?" Yellow asked, cocking her eyebrow. "Leave you alone? How can I do that, again? Right. I can't. We're in here together until they shatter the two of us."

"You can leave me alone by shutting your sour mouth and not speaking a word to me until we're released."

"'When we're released?' Ah, I see! So I should never utter a single word to you ever again, for as long as our gems remain intact."

Blue raised her head up, her brows lowered in anger. "You realize shattering is not the only thing the Diamonds can do, do you not? They haven't specified any kind of punishment yet. We have to wait in here until they decide what to do with us."

"What else _could_ they do?" Yellow asked once again. "Make us run around on the streets of Homeworld with our uniforms shape-shifted off? Publicly humiliate us? That's too ridiculous. What ever they have planned, it _must_ be shattering. I can't think of any other punishment suited for a traitor like you."

A minute's silence filled the room, as they stared at each other angrily, before Blue lowered her head once more.

"...Torture," She said in a low, empty tone of voice. "They could...torture us."

Silence filled the room once again, lasting now for minutes into nearly an hour.

It was then that Yellow spoke again.

"You know, Zircon...one thing I don't particularly understand about you...is why you accepted to act as Rose Quartz's defense in the first place. You knew of her story, her shattering of Pink Diamond, and yet you chose to defend her side. Why did you do that? Did you finally decide that your class as an attorney was too dull for you? That you wanted to join the rebels and go against your leaders?"

"I already told you, you idiot," Blue growled. "I was _assigned_ to this case. I had no choice in the matter."

"But then...you accused them of shattering Pink Diamond. That's the part that I understand the least. Why did you do _that?"_

Blue rose her head, angry once again. "I was in the heat of the moment. I got carried away with my argument, and I jumped to a conclusion. What's _so_ difficult to understand about that?"

"I don't believe that. You looked so confident in yourself, as if you'd planned out the entire thing during the pause between sessions. Admit it to me, traitor. You aren't the least bit loyal to the Diamonds."

There was no response from Blue. Only a silent, contemptuous stare.

 _ **"HA!"**_ Yellow shouted, pointing at the other gem. "That silence can only mean that you admit it! My Diamond was right in her decision to destroy your form and lock you in this cell. You clearly _deserve_ the shattering scheduled in your future time."

Blue Zircon stood up. And then it happened. It happened so quickly, you couldn't even say it happened within a few seconds. It happened so quickly, she couldn't see it. Yellow couldn't see what had happened, but she could feel the agony that came with it. The sound of feet sprinting...and then came the tight, painful clutch of her neck. The violent collision of her backside into the wall behind her, leaving a dent, scarring and bruising her back. The sudden lack of air. The burning, sharp pain in her chest. The harsh pressure in her face and inside of her throat.  She clawed at the hands of Blue, attempting to free herself of the blue attorney's grasp. But she couldn't fight. Her energy was fading immensely. All she could do was gasp and wheeze.

She looked down into the other Zircon's face, and it was the most terrifying part of this whole moment. The pure lack of emotion. Not even rage or sorrow. But a blank, hollow, wide-eyed stare.

When Blue spoke, though...her voice was filled of emotion. It was low, broken, and every word she spoke was full of pain.

 _"You listen to me, you worthless clod,"_ She spat. _"I gave that **damn** trial all of my effort. I was assigned to this case against my own will. They gave me no evidence... **barely** any information. They gave me no time to prepare for my defense. I was told that if I lost this case, I would be **shattered.** "_

Yellow's eyes widened in fear.

 _ **"They set me up,"**_  Blue continued, her voice rising, breaking as she began to cry. _**"THEY SET ME UP TO FAIL."**_

Her grip on Yellow's neck only tightened. Soon the pressure of Blue's hold would be enough to destroy her form.

 _ **"THEY SET ME UP TO FAIL THIS CASE,"**_ She wailed. _**"THEY SET ME UP TO BE SHATTERED!"**_

It was with that last word that Blue picked up Yellow by the neck and violently flung her at the cell's wall, Yellow limply sliding down onto the floor. Yellow Zircon sat up, taking a large, deep breath. She then broke into a loud coughing fit, spitting up small puddles of blood.

She looked up at the gem who had just strangled her to the near destruction of her form. Her face was now a much darker shade of blue, plastered with tears and snot. Her eyes shined and sparkled as tears continued to stream down from them. Her eyebrows were twisted to show an expression of the deepest despair. Even in the more emotional cases that Yellow had taken part in, she had not once seen a gem this _broken._

Blue covered her eyes and sunk to the floor, breaking down into a sob. 

Yellow was much less moved or guilted by this outburst, but more so confused.

"...What?" She asked, her voice hoarse and weak. "Are you expecting me to pity you, traitor? You just tried to murder me. You have none of my sympathy."

Blue turned to her, eyes wide with fury, and violently struck Yellow's face with her hand.

Standing up, her voice raised louder, in a more stern and serious tone. "That's the problem with all of the gems from your court now, isn't it? All of you are selfish, hideous lumps of clay. You have no empathy. You have no concern...no care for any others. You have no mercy. You're ignorant and prideful, just like your callous Diamond. You only care for yourselves and your petty little arguments; _proving_ that you're the right ones...that you're _always_ the right ones. You'll do anything to prove that. Maybe...you'll even _shatter_  a gem. Am I wrong?"

The other Zircon did not respond. She merely only stared up at Blue in disbelief.

"Answer me, Zircon," Blue demanded. " _Am I wrong? **Would you harm others just to prove that you're right?"**_

"I," Yellow looked down, resting a hand on her throat. "I...don't have an answer."

"...Of course. You're too afraid to say yes."

Blue turned away from her, walking over to the other side of the room and sitting down, tucking her knees into her chest and lowering her head.

Those cold words burned right into Yellow's mind, and maybe even left a bit of a scar. This was the first time ever, in her entire existence, that she had been called out on her own haughty attitude. This was the first time that she had heard another gem defile Yellow Diamond's good name; her entire court, even. This was the first time that she had seen any gem from Blue Diamond's court act out in aggression and rage, and besmirch the name of a Diamond. This was the first time any gem had ever brutally attacked her like this.

It felt...surreal. Like some kind of bizarre hallucination. But...it wasn't.

Yellow Zircon pulled down the base of her hood and felt her neck underneath. After the attack from Blue, it'd been harshly bruised.

...Had she actually _deserved_ this? Was her attitude towards others really so poor that it warranted a physical attack in her direction?

...Possibly not. But, Blue must have had some justified reason for doing what she just did, besides her obvious frustration with Yellow.

After half an hour of complete silence, Blue spoke once again, the tone her voice new and distant.

"I remember my first trial."

Yellow perked up in interest.

"...I lost," Blue continued hoarsely. "I lost to your prosecution."

She paused. "The pearl whom I'd defended was shattered and replaced for her presumed disobedience and rebellion. But...she was innocent. Not even the slightest bit guilty."

"...Really?" Yellow asked with suspicion. "How were you so sure?"

"She was a pearl who was admired for her loyalty and honesty," Blue replied. "When I questioned her, she told me every little detail of the situation she remembered. She had brought her own physical evidence to the trial, and it was then that I discovered she presumed guilty for crimes she never committed. Her owner was simply just bored of her, and wanted a newer, shinier pearl."

She paused once again. "When I had discovered she was to be shattered during that trial...I felt horrible. And then when it had ended, all you did was mock me. For a case I should've won, no less. But, despite her evidence, my defense was disregarded. She was only a pearl. She wasn't important enough to be spared, in the court's eyes."

...Yellow Zircon wasn't so much moved by this story, but more so unsettled by the way Blue was speaking. Her voice was lower in tone than usual, lacking in any emotion. The only kind of feeling that _could_ be identified was a type of...bitter, depressed tone. It was a large contrast to her usual shrill, panicked way of speaking. She almost didn't sound like the same gem.

Blue raised her head. "The first client I ever had...and she was shattered for a crime she never committed. She'd put her trust in me as a defense, and I had failed her. I felt like I had failed at my own purpose as a gem." She turned her head to look back at Yellow, her expression sorrowful. "I'm a zircon. Aren't I meant to be a trustworthy defense to my clients? Aren't my arguments supposed to be considered by the court? _Shouldn't every gem have the right to a fair trial?"_

Yellow stared at her, no verbal or gestured response.

Blue turned her head away. "Of course you couldn't answer. You probably don't believe in such a thing."

Silence filled the room for a while once again, until Blue Zircon continued with her story.

"At the time, I was a young gem. I had just emerged, and all I knew was my purpose. My purpose as a zircon was to be unbiased. To analyze and dissect information. My purpose as a defending zircon was to be a trustworthy counsel; someone my clients could rely on. If I had failed my purpose as a gem on my very first trial, I must have been defective. I thought my Diamond deserved better than a defective zircon."

Yellow got up and walked over to Blue to sit down next to her. "Was there...anything that you did after the trial?" She asked.

"...Yes," Blue responded hesitantly. "Inside of my office desk, I always keep my own personal gavel, in the unlikely case that I am appointed as a Judge. After my first trial, I pulled the gavel out of my desk. Do you want to know what I did with it?"

"What?" Yellow asked, concern showing in her face.

"I applied the gavel's surface directly to my gem. My superior caught me in the act and immediately went to heal me. Then, I was put on leave for the next few weeks."

Yellow's eyes widened in shock. "You...you mean you...?"

Blue nodded.

"Blue," Yellow worried. "Was that... _my_ fault?"

Blue Zircon sat upright and turned to her, and held up a reassuring hand. "Oh, no! Not at all. Well, it was... _half_ your fault."

Yellow rested her hand on her mouth in shock. "I...never knew any of this. I didn't mean to make you feel this way. I'm so...sorry."

"Yellow," Blue sighed. "If you had said something like that 4000 years ago, I would've really appreciated it."

"Well," Yellow said. "You never _told_ me."

"I didn't think you would _care_."

Blue turned away, crossing her arms.

After a long silence, Yellow looked down after feeling Blue suddenly lean onto her side.

Blue had rested her head onto the other gem's shoulder, gripping her jacket's sleeve. When she spoke, she was soft and remorseful.

"Yellow," She whimpered. "I'm so sorry."

"For what?" Yellow asked.

"For what I did to you earlier. I was caught up in my own emotions, and I had taken it out on you. I don't expect you to forgive me for it, but, I would've felt awful if I didn't at least mention it to you."

"Well," Yellow replied. "At least you care enough to apologize."

Blue rose up a little and wiped away a few tears from her eyes. "Y-yeah."

She sniffled a little, and then covered her eyes, crying again.

Yellow laid a hand on her back, patting her slowly. "Um..there, there," She said. "It's...going to be alright."

Blue, to the other Zircon's surprise, laid herself down on Yellow's lap, sobbing into her pants. At first this action startled Yellow a little bit, but then she continued with her attempt at comfort, albeit a little awkwardly.

She continued patting Blue on the back, trying to calm her down. It wasn't doing much to help, but it was, to Blue, a kind gesture, at the very least.

After a few minutes, she noticed that the hood on Blue's jacket had been pulled back a bit, possibly by Blue herself or maybe the force of movement. Yellow moved her hand to slowly, gently tug off the hood. Blue's covering pulled off to reveal shoulder-cut curls of the purest snow white. To Yellow, it looked...quite beautiful, actually. She was hesitant to feel Blue's hair, fearing she'd ruin it's perfection...but it looked so _soft_. She had never seen Blue without her hood before.

She began to stroke Blue's hair, and it had felt just as soft as expected. Blue could feel this, and it was extremely relaxing. She was almost feeling fatigued by Yellow's touch. Her sobs hadn't stopped altogether, but she was still calming down.

It was, in general, a very soft moment. Both parties were feeling comforted by the others presence. With the one hand she had rested on the floor, Blue grabbed Yellow's free hand. She sniffled. "This...this feels nice. I...I'm glad you're here, Yellow."

"Really?" Yellow asked.

"...Yes. I feel...safer, now."

"Uh...I'm glad you do. I didn't think I was helping."

"You are."

Blue caressed the palm of Yellow's free hand with her thumb, continuing to cry softly. "Yellow...you...you've always been so rude to me. What I don't...know if I understand is...why you're bothering to...to comfort me right now. Don't you...hate me?"

"...I," Yellow began. "I don't...hate you. I actually thought we were friends. I thought we were...the type of friends that mock each other...as a joke, if it makes sense? I never thought that you _hated_ me."

"I've...I've wanted us to be friends, Yellow. I really have. But all I thought you ever did was insult me. Like you...y-you thought...you thought I...I was below you. Like...like you-!"

She broke into a loud sob again, gripping Yellow's hand tightly, and holding it up to her face. Yellow continued to stroke Blue's hair, hoping to calm her down again.

...It didn't seem to be working. Blue was hysterical now. Possibly inconsolable. It seemed like the only solution would be to leave her by herself, but that was the last thing Yellow wanted to do. She wanted to say something reassuring, but...she couldn't think of anything. She needed to do _something_.

...Without a thought, Yellow Zircon planted a small kiss on Blue's head.

Blue turned her head a little to look up. She was still crying, but now she was a bit perplexed. "Did...did you just...?"

Yellow's cheeks burned hot with orange blush. "...Oh. I'm...I'm sorry-"

Before Yellow could even finish her sentence, Blue sat up, hugged her close, and gave her a big, sloppy kiss on the lips. After the kiss, she rested her head on Yellow's shoulder and continued to sob.

Yellow resumed her petting of Blue's hair, but more slowly and awkwardly.

...What had just happened? And why did Blue do it?

"Blue?" Yellow asked. "Why did you just do that?"

Blue sniffled. "I'm sorry...I...it...it was a...I-I didn't mean to-"

"No," Yellow replied. "Don't apologize. I...uh...I actually liked it. Can you...do that again?"

Blue pulled herself away to look Yellow in the eye. Then she snickered.

"What's so funny?" Yellow asked.

"Nothing," Blue giggled, wiping away some of her tears. "This is just...a little strange."

After a long, awkward pause of silence. Blue hugged Yellow again, and Yellow stroked her hair once more.

"Yellow?" Blue asked. "Can I tell you something?"

"Hmm?"

"...I...I've never told any gem about this, but I...ever since my first trial...I've always had this...feeling."

"What feeling?"

"This lingering feeling that I'm...always doing something wrong. That I'm always going to lose any case that I'm assigned to."

Yellow pulled away and looked at her, worried. "Why?" She asked.

"I don't know," Blue pulled her cowl over her head, and adjusted it to it's typical crescent-like shape. "When I subvert my own expectations and I win, it always feels rather...underwhelming. When I'm not stressing myself over a case, or I win a case I'm expecting to lose, I feel...empty."

"That doesn't sound right," Yellow replied. "Do you think you may _actually_ be defective?"

"No," Blue said. "Well...that's a possibility, but I don't want to think about it. I think it's some kind of depression. I don't know if that's the right word, but it's the only one that explains how I feel."

Yellow didn't respond.

"...Yellow?" Blue asked after some silence.

Yellow hugged her again, tighter this time. "...Blue."

"What?"

"Is there...anything that I could do to help you?"

"...I don't think so. I've always felt this way. I don't think there's much that could be done to help it. I appreciate your offer, though."

Suddenly, the door opened and the two quartz guards walked in; two Citrines, to be exact. One Citrine had her gem placed on her navel, and the other had her gem placed on her throat.

"Hey, you two," The navel Citrine spoke. "Get up. The Diamonds want you."

The two Zircons broke away from their embrace and looked up at the two Citrines, blushing.

They stood up, as directed, and followed the guards out of the holding cell.

Outside the cell, the navel Citrine snatched Yellow by the arm and moved forward into the hallways. It was then that the throat Citrine followed: lifting up Blue and carrying her on her shoulder, holding the blue Zircon down in place with her giant hand, making it so that an escape would seem like the less favorable option compared to staying in place and keeping quiet.

As the two Citrines walked down the hallway, Yellow and Blue could hear their conversation.

"Heh, so what do you think the Diamonds are gonna do with these princesses?" The throat Citrine snickered.

Blue Zircon scoffed and crossed her arms at hearing herself be referred to this way. Yellow was too busy trying break free of the navel Citrine's grasp to really focus on something as unimportant as name-calling.

"Hey, you!" The navel Citrine spat at Yellow. "Stop squirming, or I'll rip you in half!"

Yellow froze, letting herself be carried away by the guard.

"Sorry," Navel said to the other guard. "Eh, I don't know what they're gonna do. Probably shatter 'em or something."

"Duuude," Throat groaned. "Be _creative!_ You _always_ say shattering!"

"What am I supposed to say?" Navel asked. "That they're, like...gonna run around the streets naked?"

The throat Citrine roared with laughter. "Hahaha, oh man, that'd be hilarious!"

Soon, the Citrines and the Zircons arrived at their destination, the room in which the very fates of the Zircons would be decided.

This new place they'd arrived in was much like the courtroom for Rose Quartz's trial, but there were some minor differences. Faint, odd patterns lined the walls; patterns of triangles and diamonds. No light emitted from the floor like it had before.

Right in the middle of the room's floor, you could see the symbol of the Great Diamond Authority; the yellow, blue, and white triangles that came together in one. It was the mark and the spirit of the Diamonds. The symbol of the Diamonds was the only clearly visible part of the room, every other part either shrouded in darkness or dimly lit by the bright, glowing light from the symbol.

The Citrines threw the Zircons on the floor.

"Here we are," Navel said. "The Diamonds will arrive soon."

"Don't even _think_ about trying to leave," Throat smirked at the two of them. "Not unless you princesses want to get _shattered_."

The two Zircons stood up stone still, both of them trembling with dread, waiting the arrival of the Diamonds.

Blue gripped Yellow's hand firmly and looked her way, fear and pain in her eyes, and sweat on her brow. "Yellow?"

"What?"

"I...I love you."

"...I love you, too."

**Author's Note:**

> ::EDIT - June 18th, 2017::
> 
> Extended the ending. I wasn't too happy with how I wrote it.


End file.
